Hi
I am always intereste in company during my trip down south. I would also prefer camping but I wouldn't mind a decent hotel (nothing luxurious) here and there for a bit of a change. Although I have not calculated my budget in details I seem to be a bit limited as well. The bike and equipment is more expensive than originally expected (but who cares;-))

I only spent a few days at the shores of Lake Malawi in 2006 but it was great.

Maybe it works out well and we can travel together.
Regards
Marc

Hey Fellows,

Nice to read this tread because i'm also heading from the north to the south.
My trip starts in The Netherlands in the beginning of april going to the North first and then al the way down trough Russia, Balistics states, Georgia, Turkey and the route you name.

Hey Mimaweg, maybe we can catch up on the way down. What's your planning for leaving Oslo?

I ad this tread to my favorites .

Cheers Richard

Hey Maatle,
Im planning about the same trip as you are... I ride a Honda xl600v (transalp). Im interested in finding companions for the trip, so maybe we can see how riding together works out. I already did a solo 1,5 year RTW (not on bike)
Are you still on schedule to leave November? I want to leave oct/nov, do about 4 month to get to SA, and for me probably end up in Durban where I hope to find a diveinstructors job for a few month.

Greetz Fokke

Hi Fokke
Good to read from other travellers with the same route. I plan to start with beginning of November and will arrive in Capetown middle of april. It's been 15 years since my last very long trip. In the meantime I was more travelling for max. 6 weeks. But now I need this trip down to Capetown. I am always interested in good company especially as travelling by motorbike is not always easy. We should really find out whether we fit together or not.

I ride a Honda Africa Twin. Are you experienced in bike repairs, tire changing etc.? Me not but it's time to learn now.

Working as a diveinstructor in Durban for a few months sounds good. Do you plan to continue your trip afterwards?

Looking forward to reading more from you.

Cheers
Maatle

Can anyone be persuaded to do the west route ?

My plans have changed for this year, as I was planning Alaska to Ushuai then across to Cape Town and north through Africa. Due to some other circumstances, I'm now going to reverse the trip and travel South in Africa and then across to Argentina from Cape Town. This means I will leave later in 2011 and this will give me the weather window for the journey north in the USA and Canada. After all this, I'm easy about the route, but initially thought I'd go over the eastern way, through Egypt and the route you posted Maatle. My initial planning is still rudimentary, so I'm very flexible. What do you guys think? My bike is a GS 1150 by the way.

Hi Marc

just found your thread - even though my plans are not very precise at the moment, it would be great to get into touch with other travellers from this area. I currently live in basel and I ride a F650 GS... would be great to hear from you and maybe we could meet some time for a little tour and some motorbike travel stories...

Heike

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http://2livethedream.com

Hi Guys, just stumbled on this myself, am currently living in Baden and while not make a trip to Cape Town yet am very interested to in your plans, and see how it all goes, i have been riding for years, started on a TTR250 back in Australia, then an XTZ660, but here in Switzerland i just have a cople of road bikes, if i can be of any help, or if anyone wants to go for a ride, just let me know.

Cheers Jason

Hi Maatle,
I have some experience in bike repairs, but not much. Then again, the engine should keep running, its honda. Repairs should only mean delay, and if the engine would stop you need a garage anyway. Changing tires is not difficult, sometimes just hell. Do you have a website where you keep progress of you preparations? I do not (yet). As for the diving, I like to work as a scuba instructor for a few months again, go back home, work and wait until the itch starts again and make new plans.

Keep you posted.

Greets Fokke



=Maatle;329995]Hi Fokke
Good to read from other travellers with the same route. I plan to start with beginning of November and will arrive in Capetown middle of april. It's been 15 years since my last very long trip. In the meantime I was more travelling for max. 6 weeks. But now I need this trip down to Capetown. I am always interested in good company especially as travelling by motorbike is not always easy. We should really find out whether we fit together or not.

I ride a Honda Africa Twin. Are you experienced in bike repairs, tire changing etc.? Me not but it's time to learn now.

Working as a diveinstructor in Durban for a few months sounds good. Do you plan to continue your trip afterwards?

Looking forward to reading more from you.

Cheers
Maatle[/QUOTE]

East route: VOA (visa on arrival) pretty much everywhere;
West route: visa hell. its just annoying. I rather go east. I guess more beautiful too.

Hi,

Me and a friend are also doing the East Coast from London to Cape Town starting Nov 2011.

Both on 1150GSA's. Plan to do it in about 3 or 4 months.

R

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Pikipiki Safari - UK to South Africa, Argentina to Colombia 2011/2012

Hi Trichelia,

I want to travel in the south-east of Africa from early nov till late dec/early jan. I was planning to start in South Africa and then ride through zimbabwe-mozambique-malawi-tanzania-kenya and back to SA.

But after looking at the traveler's advice in the netherlands, I'm now also looking at the west route... What did you have in mind?

Hi Gideon,
In a nut shell.
The wife and I will be off backpacking for 4 months around SE Asia, returning 1 October 2011. I was planing on heading to Africa, from London, around the middle of October, giving myself 2 weeks to do some final prep before leaving. The departure date is relatively flexible from the middle of October onwards, however not before.

My wife has signed off on 5 months for this trip, I will be riding alone while she hangs out in the US and then Oz for a few months. I am not in a rush and not wanting to ride silly distances each day, however I also do not want to sit for extended periods in the same place unless I have to. Ride, check things out, then move on.....

My propsed route, which is also open to discussion:

Morocco
Western Sahara
Mauritania
Senegal
Guinea Conakry
Mali
Niger
Nigeria
Cameroon
Conga
DRC
Angola
Namibia
Botswana
Zimbabwe
South Africa

The countries Im excited to see though, are Guinea (depending on stability), Mali and Cameroon. It has also been suggested omiting Niger and rather to head through southern Nigeria via Togo/ Benin.

Anyways, there is flexability around this.

Let me know if this fits in with your schedule, would be good to to have a partner .
Steve

Sorry to highjack this thread.

Good to find someone to ride with through Africa! Some of the countries on your list may not be that wise to travel through at the moment however, so maybe that's something to discuss.

I think I'm going to open my own topic tonight or tomorrow so we can talk about planning and routes some more without hijacking the topic of Maatie....

hi all riders planning the east coast later this year
i know its a way off yet. but now that syria has kicked off, is everyone still going to be heading in that direction. If not, now that lybia is clearly not an option it seems the only way to go would be the ferry via venice. it may well have calmed down by the time we leave, just thinking out loud. anyone got an opinion?